What you are saying is true of nearly every other football team besides Bama and Clemson. ND is a solid 3-5 ranked team. It is just that there is a significant drop off after #2...significant. Bama has been able to assemble ND 1940s talent, and Clemson has assembled Holtzian ND Talent, so these are very good teams. Holtz's best teams would have a chance to beat Bama and Clemson. I don't see any reason to besmirch our former greatness because of this loss to Clemson. I don't think this current team is as good as we can do at ND now.